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T O P I C R E V I E W

Ben

Cape Canaveral will host its last launch of a Titan rocket Friday, ending 50 years of history and 43 years of spaceflight that started with sending America's Gemini astronauts into space.

The Titan 4B, which will be the next to last to fly (the last will occur late this summer from Vandenberg AFB, Calif.), is to carry a classified payload into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office.

The launch may also be visible for those living along the East Coast of the US and Canada much the way Shuttle is when it heads to the ISS and Mir at night.

Given a recent dispute with Canada over whether the Titan 4's first or second stage could hit oil platforms off the coast of Newfoundland on the way up, the launch inclination is expected to be very high, near or at the 63 degree limit imposed on launches Cape Canaveral.

Having witnessed Shuttle launches from NYC before; and knowing what the first stage flame is like on Titan 4 after the SRBs separate, I would say viewers have a very good chance of seeing it (unlike the Atlas-Centaur on Feb. 3 which was a very dim flame). The first stage separates from the vehicle about 400 miles downrage and the second stage takes it the rest of the way into orbit. Both stages use the same fuel.

Launch is scheduled between 8:00 and 10:30pm EDT, with the exact launch time and window expected, as usual with classified launches, to be announced one to three days before liftoff.

For updates check the SpaceflightNow.com status later this week.

Titan was developed as an ICBM in the late 1950s as a supplement to the Atlas rocket, and first became intended for use as a space launch vehicle by NASA for the two-man Gemini launcher.

Titan was first fired on an orbital trajectory on April 8, 1964 with the unmanned Gemini 1 launch, and on March 23, 1965 launched John Young and Gus Grissom on the first manned Gemini flight. In the 40 years since then, Titan's have launched countless military payloads as well as many for NASA, having sent the Voyagers to the outer solar system, the Vikings to Mars and Cassini to Saturn. The program has had its share of failures, however, including one of the most spectacular explosions in the Cape's history on August 12, 1998.

The viewing area I am describing is right under the word "Year" in "20 Year Master Plan".

DavidH

quote:The weekend will launch on Friday evening with ASF's annual Induction Gala, followed by Saturday's Induction Ceremony. Guests will be transported from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to its award winning Apollo Saturn V Center for the gala, to include a reception and an exquisite dinner. The night will be full of excitement, as old and new inductees are introduced while making their red carpet entrance.

There is a 95% chance of acceptable weather conditions Friday; 90 Saturday and 80 Sunday.

Robert Pearlman

Lockheed Martin Press Release

The United States Air Force and Lockheed Martin (LMT:NYSE) wrote the final chapter in a five-decade history at Cape Canaveral tonight with the final launch of a Titan IV B heavy-lift rocket carrying a critical national security payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket thundered away from its pad adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean amid the cheers of many who had gathered to watch the historic mission.

"With our customers, we share a tremendous pride in this successful flight, tempered only by our sense of sadness as the proud history of Titan here at Cape Canaveral comes to a close for our team," said G. Thomas Marsh, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. "It is always impressive to hear the roar of a Titan IV as it streaks into space, but this rocket got help in getting off the ground by the hard work, prayers and wishes of thousands of employees and retirees whose dedication to mission success is unparalleled."

Tonight's launch was the second-to-last launch for the venerable heavy-lift workhorse Titan IV. The final vehicle will fly from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. this summer. In all, 27 Titan IVs have been launched from CCAFS and 11 from Vandenberg. Titan IV is the culmination of a long evolution from the original Titan I intercontinental ballistic missile.

Col. Michael T. Baker, director, Launch Programs, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, said, "Titan has performed honorably by providing us strategic deterrence in the form of the Titan ICBMs, helping us explore our universe by launching NASA missions like Cassini, assisting our manned space activities by launching NASA's Gemini test flights and supporting our national decision makers and our warfighters in the field by deploying spacecraft such as the one launched tonight. The men and women of the Martin Marietta Corporation, now Lockheed Martin Space Systems, have much to be proud of. The Air Force is grateful to have been a part of this wonderfully successful program."

Titan IV developed into the nation's heavy-lift workhorse following the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy in 1986 when assured access to space became critical for the U.S. government. Titan IV A was followed by Titan IV B with a new generation of large solid rocket motors, state-of-the-art guidance and electronics and a new ground processing system.

"At each Titan launch, I have always had the feeling I was standing too close," said Dennis Fitzgerald, acting director, National Reconnaissance Office. "We are coming to the end of an era. The men and women of Team Titan who dedicated their talents and toil to this next-to-last launch have our heartfelt gratitude for their sacrifices. They also have the personal satisfaction of knowing their actions were vitally important to our nation's security."

Robert Pearlman

Photographs of the last Titan IV launch from Cape Canaveral, taken from outside the Saturn V Center during the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Gala (April 29, 2005):

John K. Rochester

Goosebumps!! I got goosebumps from those photos Robert..

Goodbye Titan..you served the Space Program admirably.

Ben

My photos shot for SpaceflightNow and soon to be included in a gallery/story:

[This message has been edited by collectSPACE Admin (edited May 01, 2005).]

Rob Joyner

Great photos Robert!Good to see you again. What a great night it was!

Ryan Walters

Great Photos indeed! I was at the launch but not at the Saturn V center. Ben I want to thank you for the directions to Port Canaveral! That was a great location to see the launch. I followed your directions right to it. I had my doubts for a few minutes but I pushed on and I'm glad I did! Thanks buddy!

Ben

Glad you enjoyed it Ryan. I've watched from there a few times, it's a great view despite the distance.

A bunch of friends of mine went there Friday for the launch. They said it was fantastic but the sound was not too great as the wind was coming from the South.

When you are that far away the wind can make a big difference; I've seen launches from that spot that are very loud or barely audible.

But a night launch dazzles no matter what; you don't realize just how unbelievably bright it is until you see it in person..it lights up the state. My friend called from a highway out of Orlando and asked "was there just a launch?!."

The launch was good from there but you are right the sound was not very loud because of the wind. I knew that too and hoped it would die down by launch time but it did not. But no I don't have any photos or video of the launch. I'm not very good at night photography! But I do have a photo of me shaking Lovell's hand! ha ha.

michaelSN99

hey Ben,

really great shots...i am interested in how you take this photos from such close positions to the pad..are you using automatic controlled cameras or are you working with remote sensors ?

They are sound activated; you build a circuit that was a microphone attached and can be hooked up to the camera. Anytime you see photos taken of launches, Shuttle or any, closeup like that, that is how they are taken.

Occasionally you will find vibration or light sensors too, namely as a supplement, but most use sound by itself or as the base trigger.

I don't know exactly, it's hard to tell how far anything is at the Cape unless you know because there is nothing around to provide perspective (that's why people are always amazed to learn the VAB is 525 feet tall and 15 miles away, or the lightning towers on the pads are 400).

I would guess 500-700 feet for this launch.

michaelSN99

you are right ben...the VAB is a really good example how difficult it is to guess measurments right without comparing sizes around....even for me as an architect ;-)